Locker Room Quotes

QB Marc Bulger

(On Falcons’ QB Michael Vick)
“He’s exciting. He can make plays. You can have the right defensive calls, but he can make plays. I know in college, my senior year, we had Virginia Tech beat, then on fourth-and-a-mile, he came through and made a play. He’s doing that in the NFL now, and he’s probably one of the top two-or-three athletes in the league. To be able to run and throw, and do the things he does, obviously, is fun to watch on television. But we have guys like that. Leonard (Little), I can’t believe some of the things he does. I think Mike Vick takes it to a whole new level.”

(On what he expects from the Atlanta defense)
“They like to pressure a lot. When they get the momentum going, they get energized. You can see some more energy and confidence out of Atlanta than you have in the past.”

(On his confidence in the offense)
“We’re fine. We have to get better. We’ll keep working at it and put a couple of new wrinkles in, and I’m sure we’ll get better.”

(On the play of RBs Marshall Faulk and Steven Jackson)
“They make it a heck of a lot easier. We have two backs now that can run the ball. Marshall seems to be healthy, so it will be nice to have both of those guys out of the backfield.”

(On if he was happy with how the game against Arizona went)
“You always, being a quarterback, want to get the guys in the end-zone more. But we moved the ball well, and we had a ton of yards. It was balanced. It wasn’t just passing, and it wasn’t just running. So, I think the balance is a good thing. And the way our offensive line has come together, is a real positive.”

(On if the experience he has gained will help against Atlanta’s blitz)
“I think (it will help). You never want to say that you are too prepared, but just seeing everything for a year has helped. You start to understand under-and-over fronts, the way safeties are moving, and different things like that. At the same time defensive coordinators realize that and they are going to try to bait you into different things, and attack your protections.”

DT Tyoka Jackson

(On Falcons’ QB Michael Vick)
“He is probably the best athlete, pound-for-pound, in the league playing the quarterback position, which means he has the ball in his hand every single play. That puts a tremendous amount of stress on your defense, and you have to be really aware of your lanes, pursuit angles, and so forth. We have our work cut out for us. It’s going to be a challenge. They won a big game on the road against the *****, where it’s tough to win, and now they are coming home and feeling good about themselves. This is a huge game. His athletic ability and his will to compete (makes him special). He is not going to give up on a play. He could be on the way down, inches from the ground, and throw the ball. He will stay alive the entire play. You have to have him in the ground and wait for the whistle to blow before the plays over.”

(On the key to stopping Vick)
“You can say you want to keep him in the pocket, but that’s easier said than done. Even when the pocket is beginning to close, he stays alive in the pocket, finding creases, just enough to throw through the passing lane. It’s tough. The thing is, you need to get him on the ground. When the whistle blows, you know he can’t hurt you anymore, and that’s what it’s all about. Getting pressure is big, getting around him is big, keeping him in the pocket is big, but if you don’t get him on the ground and he is on his two feet, he can hurt you.”

(On how Vick compares to former ***** quarterback Steve Young)
“Very favorable. Obviously, nobody has been this fast, or brought this much speed, quickness, and athleticism to the position. But both are great athletes, and (Vick) will progress to be the passer that Steve was.”

(On DT Damione Lewis)
“I said all preseason that that was the best I’ve seen him play, and (Sunday, against Arizona) might have been the best game, in terms of playing the run and the pass (that I’ve seen him play). The intensity and the hustle all game, that might have been the best game I’ve seen him play. But he’s just scratching the surface. The guy has so much potential, and you can see the light bulb start to come on. His confidence is growing.”

CB Jerametrius Butler

(On his confidence level)
“I have more confidence now than last year, because last year was the first time I had started on opening day. This year was a home game and I had more confidence here as compared to last year when we started on the road. I’m a veteran now, and I’m just trying to help DeJuan Groce and Kevin Garrett.”

(On if he feels more responsible to be a leader with CB Travis Fisher out)
“I try to help out, but Aeneas (Williams) is still the leader, he and (Adam) Archuleta. I just try to help out the corners whenever I can. If they have a question, I try to help them.”

DE Bryce Fisher

(On containing Vick)
“If you try to contain him, he will eventually find a way out of there. All you can do is be in your rush lane, go as hard as you can, and when you get there, hold on. San Francisco did a great job of getting to him, brought him to the ground about four times, and caused a couple of fumbles. We need to repeat that kind of effort. You won’t get many chances to hit him, so whenever you get there, grab cloth and pull him down as best you can.”

(On trying to force turnovers)
“That’s our goal every week, to try and get two or three turnovers. We didn’t last week, so our goal this week is to make up for that. We need to get our hands on balls. I don’t think the defensive line batted down a single ball, and that’s how turnovers happen.”

WR Isaac Bruce

(On the his performance in the game against Arizona)
“It’s pretty much how we Scripted it. It put us a game up in the division, and we came out on a winning note. We expect a carry over.”

(On not rolling their coverage toward him during the game)
“Anytime we run the football like we do, it’s going to be hard to roll the coverage my way or Torry’s (Holt) way. If we keep running the football, getting that offensive line pushing, and turning those backfields, we’re going to be successful in the passing game.”

(What Head Coach Jim Mora brings to the Atlanta defense)
“He’s a guy that definitely know us, being from San Francisco, he’s had an opportunity to play us quite a bit. I’m sure he’s going to have something for us, I don’t really know what to expect, but I’m sure he’ll have some influence in the defense as far as getting them ready.”

(On the records being meaningful to him)
“They mean a lot. Especially when I’m done playing, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. I’ll look at it when it’s over with.”

(On if he thinks he’s lost any speed the older he gets)
“There’s a difference, but I look at the difference being positive. I work every offseason to improve quickness, so that’s my goal. So I believe that I improve quickness.”

(On the development of QB Marc Bulger as a quarterback)
“He had a chance to sit behind an MVP for a couple of years, and now the reigns are handed over to him. He’s done an excellent job in having a short memory, he makes a good play, it’s over with, he makes a bad play, it’s over with. He’s doing a good job, he’s becoming a true professional at what he does.”

Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Jim Mora
Wednesday, September 15, 2004

(On defending the Rams’ offense)
“It is the ultimate challenge and it’s one of the reasons I like playing them so much. This will be the 15th time I have played them in the last seven years and every one has been a great challenge. They have, number one, great talent at all positions. Number two, a great scheme. I’ve always had so much respect for Mike Martz and the way he calls a game, in terms of staying aggressive. It really presents the ultimate challenge to you as a defensive coach. On one hand, you dread having to go into a dome and play those guys, and on the other hand, if you are a competitor, you look forward to it, because it’s the ultimate challenge.”

(On if he wants QB Michael Vick to run less)
“No. I love it when he runs. I think it proposes a huge talent to defenses. All we are encouraging Mike to do is make good decisions when he runs. We don’t want him to feel like he has to take it to the house every time he runs or absorb vicious hits.”

(On his defensive philosophy)
“To me it’s all about playing with passion, playing aggressive, playing hard. I don’t think that when you say that you’re going to be an aggressive defense, that means you are going to be a blitzing defense. I think it’s more an attitude than anything. I want our guys to play at maximum speed whenever possible. We want them to play at great effort. It’s like the St. Louis Rams’ defense. They don’t do a million different things, but what they do, they do very, very well and at full speed. That’s one of the things that helps you become efficient. Repetition, doing something so you understand the ins and outs of it, and you can do it full speed.”

(On having TE Alge Crumpler)
“It is a great benefit. The guy is big, fast, physical, and he really catches the ball well. He can do a lot of things in the pass game. You can put him in different places, and he’s a good run blocker. He’s a real versatile presence. Its give you, and I’m sure it gives Mike Vick, confidence that we have big body in the middle to dump the ball to, to make a catch.”

(On Rams’ WR Isaac Bruce)
“I get a kick out of people saying that (Bruce) and Marshall (Faulk) aren’t the same, and they’ve lost something. They haven’t lost anything. They are great athletes, great competitors, they take care of their bodies. (Bruce) might be my number one nemesis in the National Football League. I love him. I love playing against him. I love it when he walks into the huddle, looks over, and we share a little laugh. He’ll come by and say something. He’s just fun to play against because he’s a great competitor and a great person. He’ll give you fits.”